Cultural Identity Self-reflection

Cultural Identity self-reflection.

Author Note

How do you identify for each cultural dimension?

What values, actions, stereotypes are associated with each cultural dimension?

What does this cultural dimension mean to you? How does it make you who you are?

How do you think other people see you based on this aspect?

Gender: Female

Feminine, financially dependent, physically weak, take care of household cores

Less privilege than men

Gentle and weak, less powerful

Race/Ethnicity: Asian

Strict in following rules, family oriented, rice lover

Represent as one of the Asian tribes and speak different language

Have accent when speaking English

Class: Middle Class

Always working, never go out vocation

able to access education, and buy what I need, not what I want

Only focus on working

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Interested in opposite sex

Being straight doesn’t mean anything to me and I am just as the way I am

Normal, Basic

Citizenship: One of the developing countries from Asia

Poor country, One of the developing countries

Not able to travel most of the developed countries because of strict visa issue

Doesn’t have privilege as other citizenships

Admire when having higher education level

Religion:

Christian

Minority

Ethical

Physical/Mental ability: both healthy

Physically and mentally able to care for self

Freedom, physically privilege, healthy strong

Fortunate, Blessed

Other? (Select one: Education, athlete, military, etc.): Finance/ Decision Science major

Only most of the men choose this major

Women are not good at making decision

Cultural dimension doesn’t mean anything to me. I like helping people through the knowledge and skill that I have. I like doing what I like and helping with I am capable of at the same time

Professional, Type A, Intelligence

REFLECTION QUESTIONS (300 Word Count - Content)

What are your overall reactions to this exercise?

Ans: Self Reflection

This exercise is a very good approach to identify myself for the cultural dimensions dispensed by the society. But, in my opinion, identity is something about identifying the people on the basis of their gender, nationality, religion and language. None of us are born with identity but it evolves with the passage of time.

In the above-mentioned chart, I have mentioned some cultural dimensions which describes my identity and the societal values, stereotypes and actions associated with each cultural dimension. in the third column I explained that What does this cultural dimension mean to me and how am I identified in the society because of these stereotypes.

It is a fact that I am being described by these cultural dimensions, but these dimensions worth nothing to me. I like helping people through the knowledge and skill that I have. I like nursing as my profession and I am capable of it the same time. Not only in Asian countries but in most of the other countries, women are supposed to take care of household chores. It doesn’t mean that they cannot perform in any other area, such as education, athlete, military. What I observed is that women are better at finance and decision making than man. In most of the communities only those power structures are analyzed which effect the constituencies.

After looking at the chart I realized that power structures should be analyzed from personal aspects. Power and Privileges are derived down from the dominant status groups of the communities. In my opinion This culture is immensity needed to be changed. I think that, it is hard to identify if I am being privileged by these cultural dimensions or unprivileged. from the above exercise I realized that there is a huge difference between what we think we are, and what others perceive about us ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"sHszyBWE","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Helping Students Explore Their Privileged Identities | Association of American Colleges & Universities n.d.)","plainCitation":"(Helping Students Explore Their Privileged Identities | Association of American Colleges & Universities n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":222,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/55bqtMd8/items/PIMX3PHH"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/55bqtMd8/items/PIMX3PHH"],"itemData":{"id":222,"type":"webpage","title":"Helping Students Explore Their Privileged Identities | Association of American Colleges & Universities","URL":"https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/helping-students-explore-their-privileged-identities","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",10,7]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Helping Students Explore Their Privileged Identities | Association of American Colleges & Universities n.d.). At the end I would like to suggest that everyone should understand role cultural identity is playing to affects smoothing and sustaining the community relationships ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"zysBOWVq","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hyde 2012)","plainCitation":"(Hyde 2012)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":221,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/55bqtMd8/items/R295X7FV"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/55bqtMd8/items/R295X7FV"],"itemData":{"id":221,"type":"article-journal","title":"Challenging ourselves: Critical self-reflection on power and privilege","container-title":"Community organizing and community building for health and welfare","page":"428-436","author":[{"family":"Hyde","given":"Cheryl A."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2012"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hyde 2012)

Looking at this cultural inventory, in what ways have you experienced privilege? In what ways have you NOT experienced privilege?

Answer

I belong to a middle-class Christian family, and being a female, I am always supposed to be less privileged than man. According to the cultural stereotypes associated with my identity I am supposed to be employed for a primarily feminine job such as secretary, or a nurse. In my case this stereotype helped me a lot because it’s my passion to help the people, and because of my gender, and class I can easily get a nursing job, in a renowned medical center.

On the other hand, I am not privileged like other citizenships to be able to travel most of the developed country, because of strict Visa policy. As a female, I am considered as physically weak, so it makes me underprivileged, because I cannot hold any position in military and athletics. Society perceives a woman as financially dependent and bad at decision making, which sometimes reflect myself as nonprofessional.

How are these cultural dimensions an asset to your work, within communities you belong to?

Answer

I belong to a Christian community, in which, gender equality is much more emphasized than in any other religion or community. The community organizing allow individuals to move from a place of voice lessness, power lessness and invisibility to that of influence and visibility ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"CXCK3dxC","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Martinson and Su n.d.)","plainCitation":"(Martinson and Su n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":218,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/55bqtMd8/items/9WXM43XV"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/55bqtMd8/items/9WXM43XV"],"itemData":{"id":218,"type":"article-journal","title":"Contrasting Organizing Approaches","page":"19","source":"Zotero","language":"en","author":[{"family":"Martinson","given":"Marty"},{"family":"Su","given":"Celina"}]}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Martinson and Su n.d.). So, the gender equity Is an asset to me because it makes me realize that I am not less privileged then man. I see my good physical and mental health as an asset because it helps me to work hard for my better future. My class is also an asset for me because it allows me to access education, basic health facilities, and other necessities of life. Perhaps yes! I am more family oriented, and strict in following rules, it helps me to manage all the matters in a disciplined way.

References

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY “Helping Students Explore Their Privileged Identities | Association of American Colleges & Universities.” https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/helping-students-explore-their-privileged-identities (October 7, 2019).

Hyde, Cheryl A. 2012. “Challenging Ourselves: Critical Self-Reflection on Power and Privilege.” Community organizing and community building for health and welfare: 428–36.

Martinson, Marty, and Celina Su. “Contrasting Organizing Approaches.” : 19.